


2017 World Series

by JoyBooth



Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 15:28:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8495236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoyBooth/pseuds/JoyBooth
Summary: They did it! They won the World Series!





	1. Win

They had won the World Series. It was unbelievable. As her last pitch hit his glove the crowd erupted. Everyone was screaming. They had done it. His eyes held hers even as the rest of the world lost its mind. He smiled and shrugged. She grinned and nodded back. They had done it. 

It took two hours to get out of the pressers. Everyone wanted to ask about a million questions. There was a party in the streets around the stadium. Petco itself was alive and bustling with celebration. She walked back on to the field. Standing at the mound, she thought about her first game, and then her next game, the one that had changed her life. The one were the Mike Lawson became Lawson, her teammate, mentor, and friend. 

“I figured I'd find you here,” he called out walking towards her. 

“I just… want to remember everything about this night. I’ve worked my whole life to get here, and now, it doesn’t even feel real. It feels like any second now, my alarms going to go off, and this will have been a dream.”

“What I’m hearing is that you dream about me, often,” he waggled his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes.

“I’m glad it was you.”

“Me?”

“Behind home plate, I glad I could be a part of you getting the ring. I’m glad I got to see your legacy.”

“You know, when you first came that was all I cared about. The ring. Blip told me that I didn’t need a ring, that you and your career were my legacy. I didn’t understand it right away, but now, after everything we’ve been through. I see it. What we did here was so much more than just a World Series win. I’m glad that I got to share it with you too.”

“So, what happens now?”

“Everything that happens next. There is a big wide world out there, Baker, and we ain't done nothing yet.” 

The tailgaters where finally heading off to parties of their own when they came out of the stadium. They decided to forgo the after parties, too much noise and attention after a hard fought game. Really all they wanted to do was eat and get some sleep. They decided to grab some food and go back to Mike’s place and enjoy the quiet. 

They were just getting off the freeway, when it happened. One minute she was singing to the radio, and then a bright light coming toward them, and then nothing…

A voice called out in the darkness. “Come on girl, time to get up.”


	2. Wake up

“Pop?” She mumbled. Ginny blinked a few times to clear her eyes. There was a ringing in her ears. She tried to shake it away, but that made it a thousand times worse. Her eyes closed and she brought her hands up to hold her head. They were sticky. Her hands were bloody or maybe it was coming from her head. She was vague aware of sweat, maybe blood, dripping down her face. 

Things drifted back slowly. Mike finding her on the field. Them in the car. They were in an accident. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. It was all too familiar. She turned to see Mike completely still.

“Lawson,” she called reaching for him. He didn’t move. She unbuckled her seat belt, pushing the pain away as she turned toward him. “Mike, you gotta wake up.”

She checked for a pulse. It was thready, but it was there. He was alive. The smell of gas reminded her that she needed to get them out of the car. The ambulance would come, and he would be fine. The car was hit on his side, so getting out that way wasn’t an option. She tried her door, but it was stuck. The windshield was covered in a spider web of fractures. She pulled her feet to her chest, again ignoring the pain, as she kicked the glass out of her way. 

“Mike! Come on, Cap. Don’t make me haul your ass out of here,” she whined shaking him again. He groaned, but didn’t open his eyes. She unbuckled his seatbelt, saying a quick thanks to god that he was actually wearing his. Then she braced herself, focusing all her energy on Mike and dragged him to the side walk. 

Sirens echoed in the distance. Someone would be there soon. Her breath was choked, but she couldn't sit still. She need to keep moving. She needed to be doing something. She checked his pulse again. It was the same as before. Then she looked over at the wreckage and remembered the other car. “Hang on, Mike. I’ll be right back I’m going to go check on the other driver.” 

She opened the door to find a woman slumped over the wheel. The woman's hair was a remarkable shade of red, but it couldn’t be who she thought it was. “Ma’am, you’ve been in a car accident. Can you stand?” 

The woman whimpered. “I… I was just…going to tell him… congratulations…” She lifted her head and Ginny saw that it was, in fact, Rachel Patrick. 

“Hey, Rachel. An ambulance is coming, but I have to check on Mike. You need some come with me.”

“What’s… um Mike?… what’s wrong with Mike?” 

“You hit him with your car,” Ginny growled, looking over her shoulder to check that he was still on the sidewalk. “Come on.”

That seemed to snap Rachel out of her sluggish state. She followed Ginny’s gaze and gasped when she saw him. “Mike!” She tried to stand, but her ankle rolled and she cried out. “I don’t think I can walk.”

Ginny bit back a grimace, scooping Rachel up and carrying her over the Mike. Ginny’s head was starting to get fuzzy. She saw the red head trying to get Mike to wake up, but she was having trouble focusing on them black spots clouded her vision. She sat down next to them. 

“Mike, Mike, it’s Rachel can you just open your eyes.” 

Amazingly, he did. “Rach? What happened?”

“We were in a car accident,” Ginny mumbled for what felt like the hundredth time. 

“Are you ok, babe?” He asked grabbing the redhead’s hand. 

“I think so, I sprained my ankle, but I feel ok other than that.”

“Ok, ma’am are you ok?”

Ginny blinked at him. “You don’t know who I am?”

“No, should I?” He asked staring at her as if he were trying to place her face. 

Ginny tried to take a deep breath, but pain arced through her chest. Before she could say anything, the ambulance pulled up. The black spots started to blur together, the ringing in her ears got louder and she slumped to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just want to say I wasnt real sure about who was driving the car that hit them. Then I was thinking about it, and Thinking about her friend and his dad who hurt him and was finally trying to make it right. Now I see Mike as her friend, and the person she really care about and Rachel who hurt him. She was on er way to his house to tell him that she was really proud of him, so thats why. Not because I think she is evil and should aways be the villain, because I don't, it just made sense to me in this instance. Let me know what you think


	3. Panic

Rachel was panicking. She had seen Ginny slump to the ground as the paramedics pulled up. Mike was still gripping her hand tightly. The whole night was a blur. She had been watching the game. She couldn’t help but cheer for Mike. He was finally getting the thing he had always wanted. She had done her post game show. Then on a whim she decided to congratulate him in person. She was driving to his house, when her phone buzzed. She just took her eyes off the road for a second. The next thing she knew, Ginny Baker was carrying her away from the mangled remains of her car. 

As they were loading Mike into the ambulance, they tried to usher her away, but Mike claimed she was his wife. She didn’t argue, because she wanted to go with him. Paramedics asked her for information about Mike and Ginny. She was still Mike’s emergency contact. As for Ginny, she wasn't sure. She called the only person she knew that was close to Ginny, Amelia Slater.

Amelia was sitting in Oscar's office enjoying 12 year old Lagavulin when her phone rang. 

“Miss Patrick, if you’d like to schedule an interview, you’ll need to call me tomorrow,” Amelia sighed. She had been fielding calls all night, and was close to just turning her phone off. 

“It’s not that. There was an accident. Ginny and Mike were in an accident. I’m in the ambulance with Mike. We are headed to Scripps La Jolla. I just thought you should know. Ginny was… you should probably call someone, family, for her,” Rachel explained. 

Amelia choked on her own tongue. She had heard the story of the night Bill Baker died from Will. She knew Ginny had to be freaking out. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Thank you for calling me.”

“Who was that?” Oscar asked. He had watched as the color drained from her face, and knew something terrible had happened. 

“Ginny and Mike were in a car accident. I have to go.”

“Let me know if there is anything I can do.” 

“I will!” 

When she got to the hospital, Ginny was already in surgery. They wouldn't give her that much information. She had to call Will. She knew he would freak out, but she figured it was better than calling Ginny’s mom. Will gave them permission to talk to Amelia and said he would be on the next flight to San Diego. 

The charge nurse gave her a cursory list of injuries and said the doctor would be out to tell her more when they could. Ginny had a fractured ankle, a concussion, a broken collarbone and several broken ribs that had punctured her lung. Amelia started googling possible complications and the best physical therapists in the area. It freaked her out as she read everything that could go wrong, but just sitting there wasn’t an option. She needed to be doing something. 

She had been sitting there for what felt like hours when Rachel came hobbling toward her on crutches. 

“How’s she doing?” The red head asked, without preamble. 

“She's still in surgery…” Amelia sighed. 

“Still?” 

Amelia nodded, then glanced at the clock. It shouldn't have taken this long. With each passing moment the knot in her stomach got tighter. “Do you know anything about how Mike is?”

“Well, it turns out that I am still his emergency contact. He thinks it is 2013 and we are still married. They said it was probably just amnesia from the concussion. They are hoping it will resolve itself. He had some internal bleeding though, they took him in for an… exploratory something, to try to figure it out.”

“An exploratory laparotomy. I was just reading about it. This is a good hospital. We have nothing to worry about,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. 

“I know, I just can’t believe it.”

“What happened? I mean, why were you all together?”

“I.. uh,”

“Ms. Slater?” The doctor entered looking tired. 

“Yes?”

“I’m Dr. Hunt, I was Miss Baker’s surgeon. The surgery went well. We were able to repair the damage to her lung, but she hasn’t woken up from the anesthesia. Would you like to sit with her? Sometimes a familiar voice came help.”

“Of course!” Amelia agreed. “Miss Patrick, if you’ll excuse me.”

Rachel smiled grimly. She knew she was at fault for the accident. When Amelia found out, she knew the blonde would be ready to tear her limb from limb. She had dealt with Amelia a few times, and she knew how protective she was of Ginny. It was almost as if Ginny were her child. Rachel just prayed that Ginny woke up soon.


	4. Try to remember

Mike knew he was in a hospital. He could smell antiseptic. He could feel itchy hospital sheets under him. He could hear the steady beep of a heart monitor. He knew he was in a hospital, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember why. 

“Mr. Lawson?”

He blinked. The light was low, but it still took a few blinks for his eyes to focus. There was a nurse watching him carefully. 

“I'm Charli. Do you remember what happened?”

He tried to remember, but it just made his head hurt. “No.”

“You were in a car accident. What's the last thing you remember?" Mike racked his brain. "I don't... everything is hazy..." "That's ok. Do you know what year it is?”

“20…13?” That was the last thing he remembered. He was playing a series against the Dodgers. They swept. It was a great game. He was in the car rushing home to celebrate with Rachel. That must have been when it happened. 

“Are you having any pain?”

“Just my head.”

“Ok, you do have a concussion, so some pain is normal, but I will see if I can get you something for it. The doctor will be in to talk to you in a minute. Is there anything else I can get you in the mean time?” 

“Did someone call my wife?”

“I think Ms. Patrick is in the waiting room. I will send her in.”

Rachel had told them that she wasn't his wife anymore, but as she was still his contact person, Charli decided to leave Rachel to explain their marital status. She walked into the waiting room to find Rachel being held by a man in suit

“He's up and asking for you.” 

“Does he remember yet?” 

Charli shook her head. “No, I'm sorry. He thinks it is 2013.”

Rachel frowned.

“Do you want me to come with you?” The man asked.

“No, I'll talk to him.”

Mike was looking at his hands when she walked in. 

“Hey honey, I think I'm super high. I don't remember my hands being all…” He shook them instead of coming up with an advective. 

“You are definitely high. How are you other than that?”

“I’d be better if you came over here so I could give you a kiss. I haven't seen you in a week.” 

“Mike, I need to talk to you,” she sighed. She really didn't want to have this talk again. 

“That's your serious voice,” he commented.

“Yeah, it's serious. Mike, it's 2017. You have amnesia. We’ve been divorced for over a year.”

His eyes crinkled and his brow scrunched as he tried to process it all. “I don't understand. Why would we get divorced? I love you.”

Rachel's heart bled. This was the Mike she married. The sweet, love starved man she had fallen so hard for. “I know you do, but it didn't work out. You won the World Series early today, though. You did it. You got the ring.”

Tears sparkled in his eyes. “But it's nothing if I can't share it with the woman I love.” 

Rachel had to bite her lip. She was pretty sure he had done just that, but he didn't remember Ginny. She wasn't going to try to guess what was going on with them. “I'm have to go now, but you can call if you need something or I could call Blip for you?” 

“The rookie? Why would I call him?” 

“You guys are close. He might be able to help you remember… your life now.”

“If you weren't with me, what happened to you?”

“I was the one who hit you, not on purpose of course. I was distracted.”

“I know, Rach. You would never hurt me on purpose.”

Her shoulders slumped. If only that were the case. “I have to go talk to the police now.”

“You should call a lawyer. Don't say anything until you get one. If it's up to me, I won't press charges. It was just a car, I can get another.”

“It wasn't just you though.”

“Who was with you?” He asked, suddenly sounding like her jealous ex again. 

“Ginny was with you. Ginny Baker.”

"That girl Sanders is always talking about?”

“Yeah, she is on your team. You guys are close.”

“Well, is she ok?” Something in the back of his mind itched at the sound of her name. He repeated it to himself, trying to remember her, but the memory was like a ghost slipping through his fingers.

“I don't really know, but I have to go. I hope you feel better, Mike.”

The doctor came by giving him a run down of his injuries. It was bad, like maybe the end of his career bad, but he didn't focus on that. His missing memories were what was really bugging him. He flipped through tv channels trying to remember the last 4 years. Finally, ESPN came up. There was footage of him making the winning play. The girl on the mound, Ginny, launched herself at him. They looked happy, but he just couldn't quite connect the dots. Finally, Charli came in and gave him something that knocked him out cold.


	5. Give a speech

He woke up and had to play catch up all over again. He was in the hospital. He had amnesia. The tv was playing the clip of him and Ginny again. He pushed his call button. Charli came bustling in a minute later.

“What can I do for you Mr. Lawson?”

“The woman who came in with me?”

“Ms. Patrick?”

“No, the other one. Ginny Baker?”

“Yes?”

“She was in the car with me. I was wondering how she is?”

“I'm not supposed to say, but I'm a huge fan. I know how close you are, so I don't think she would mind. She slipped into a coma.”

Mike felt his heart beat faster. He couldn't remember her, but she must have been important to him. If nothing else, she was his batterymate. He was her captain. The least he could do was look in on her. “Can I see her?”

Charli chewed her lip for moment. “Maybe just a quick visit.” She helped him into a wheel chair, and wheeled him into a room three doors down. “I have to go check on my other patients. I'll be back in 15 minutes and you just press the call button if you start to feel too much pain or have any problems.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The room was empty. The lights were dimmed just like in his room. Faced with the girl, he wasn't quite sure what to say. Maybe coming had been a mistake. She looked so small and broken in the hospital bed, hooked up to a bunch of machines. “I'm not usually one to make speeches, but since you are being a little shit and not waking up, I guess I'm going to have to do the talking. Here's what I got. I have been hearing about you nonstop for I don't know how long. I been watching the footage of our big win, and I can tell a lot of people were counting on you. And you know what? You did it. You did this thing that so many of us never get to do. You did it at what? 23? That is pretty amazing, but it's not everything. I don't know where your family is, but I know what it's like to be alone. When the crowds go home and the lights turn off and it's just you. You gotta wake up because there is so much more to life than baseball. There is so much you deserve to experience. And you can't do that from this bed. So... wake up, already.”

He watched her for a minute, not quite sure what to expect. Her eyes moved behind her eyelids almost as if she were really dreaming.

“Well, that’s all I got, so I guess I’ll see you around, uh…” He paused. Not sure what he should call her, then settled on the obvious. “I’ll see you around rookie.”

He was about to wheel him self out of the room when she started to cough. He knew what waking up from anesthesia was like, the dry mouth, the disorientation. He didn't want her to wake up alone. So, he grabbed the cup from beside her bed and held it to her lips.

“Here, drink a little.”

Finally she opened her eyes and cleared her throat. “Some celebration, eh, old man?” She rasped, her voice worn.

“I don’t really remember, so it must have been,” he joked.

She laughed, or she started to laugh, and then fell into a coughing fit. Charli came rushing in, clearly surprised to find two alert patients.

“Miss Baker, I am so glad to finally see you’ve decided to join us,” She smiled, pressing the call button.

"Lawson was yammering at me. How was I supposed sleep through that?" Ginny joked. Before he could say anything, another nurse came into the room.

“Sarah, will you stay with Miss Baker, while I take Mr. Lawson back to his room?” Charli asked politely.

“Of course,” the other nurse smiled, starting a cursory exam on Ginny before they had even left the room.

Once they were in the hall, Charli leaned over his shoulder. “I thought it would be you, or at least I hoped, you two are really something else.”

“Yeah, if only I could remember what.”


	6. Ginny sees a ghost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this story got a bit of a makeover. I got stuck because I wasn't happy with what I had written so a few bits have been changed and edited, though the main plot is the same. I am hoping with these changes, I will be able to finish the rest quickly.

_Ginny blinked at him. “You don’t know who I am?”_

_“No, should I?” He asked staring at her as if he were trying to place her face._

_Ginny tried to take a deep breath, but pain arced through her chest. Before she could say anything, the ambulance pulled up. The black spots started to blur together, the ringing in her ears got louder and she slumped to the ground._

She woke up in her old bed. Mike Lawson grinning right at her, or at least his poster was.

“What have I told you about sleeping at the foot of your bed, Girl?”

“That it doesn’t make for a good nights rest, and that a good nights rest makes a good game,” she answered robotically.

“And yet here you are.”

“I didn’t mean too, I was just thinking, and I guess I fell asleep.”

“Well, it’s time to get up now.” Bill Baker’s voice boomed. She knew it wasn’t real. Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered that he was dead. Hell, she was probably dead. The last ting she remembered was collapsing on the side walk. Everything pointed to her being dead, and yet she didn't panic. It was nice, this place, wherever she was. She was warm and happy and her father was there, so if this was were she ended up, then so be it.

“I said get up, we are wasting time.” Her father kicked her bedpost, just like he used to.

She rolled out of bed and he left her to get ready. The regular routine moved along. She got dressed and met him in the backyard. “What are we workin’ on today, Pop?”

“Teamwork.”

“Teamwork?”

“Yeah, teamwork, baseball is a team sport. No one gets to the Series alone, you gotta work together.”

“So, passing?”

“Yeah, passing, but it’s more than that. It’s reading the field. It’s trusting your team. Sometimes you are the one getting the out and sometimes you just assist. Be in the right place at the right time. Be ready to catch whatever comes at you and keep the ball moving.”

They ran drills, did some conditioning, then went for a five mile run. When they got back to the house they sat on the back porch.

“I won the World Series today,” she sighed.

“I know.”

“I wish you coulda been there, Pop.” She had to fight tears.

“I was, baby girl. I am always there.”

“Did we do it?”

“You did it. I always knew you would.”

“I wish that I had more time.”

“Me to, but you’re gonna wake up soon?”

“I am?”

“Oh yeah, girl, the ring is great, but it was just one more step. You ain't done that much yet. You got a lot of living left.”

The image of her father flickered in her mind, another voice echoing somewhere in the distance caught her attention. Faint as it was, she would have known that voice anywhere. She had fallen asleep listening to it more times than she could count in the last year. The mental imagine of Mike on the sidewalk flickered.

“If I'd known then why you aways slept at the foot of your bed, I would have taken the poster,” her father laughed.

“It's not like that. We are just friends,” she shrugged.

“Your mother was my best friend, until I let myself get too wrapped up in living my dreams to notice her.”

Ginny didn't know what to say to that. Her mother was still a sore subject, even after over a year of trying to mend fences.

“You should give her a break,” he said, as if he had read her mind. “I wasn’t always a good husband. She needed more than I could give.”

“You knew?”

“Of course, I knew, but I made my peace with it. Now, go celebrate. My baby girl won the World Series!”

She tried to speak, but her throat wouldn't cooperate. Instead a sputtering cough came out. Her father disappeared and she was lost in the world between reality and dream. Someone held a cup to her lips.

“Here, drink a little."

She blinked, but this time when her eyes opened she was in the hospital with Mike looking up at her from the foot of her bed.

“Some celebration, eh, old man?” She rasped, her voice worn.

“I don’t really remember, so it must have been,” he joked.

She laughed, or she started to laugh, and then fell into a coughing fit. A nurse came rushing in, clearly surprised to find two alert patients.

“Miss Baker, I am so glad to finally see you’ve decided to join us,” She smiled, pressing the call button.

"Lawson wouldn’t quit yammering. How was I supposed to sleep?” Ginny joked. Before he could say anything, another nurse came into the room.

“Sarah will you stay with Miss Baker, while I take Mr. Lawson back to his room?”

Ginny wanted argue. She wanted to talk to him, but the second nurse was already starting to poke and prod her. She figured he must be doing pretty well if they had let him come visit, so they could catch up later.


	7. The Sanders come to visit

When Mike got back to his room, it was time for another dose of pain meds. As soon as they hit his system he was out like a light. His dreams were an odd mix of memories and blanks. He tried to remember, but the harder he tried the farther away the memories seemed to drift. When he woke up, Sanders was sitting next to him watching some crime drama.

“Nice of you to join us, Cap.” 

“Sanders, What are you doing here?”

“Ginny called Ev.”

“How is she?”

“Ginny?”

Mike nodded. 

“Pretty banged up, but she’s awake, so that is something. How are you, man?”

Mike shrugged and immediately regretted it. “Not great. They are telling me that it’s 2017, but the last I remember is 2013.”

“Shit man, are you serious? But Ginny said you were in her room. How did you even know who she was?”

“Rachel was here. She told me about Ginny. Then I was watching the series coverage, and I don’t know. Even the nurse said we were close. Are we?”

Blip stared at him as if he’d grown another head. “I think this a conversation you should have with Ginny. You guys… I don’t know… Everyone has their opinions, but you guys have never really addressed what exactly you are.”

“Like, we are dating or something? Isn’t she like 23?”

“She’s 25, and I wouldn’t say you’re dating. Not as far as I know, but you’d have to ask her.”

Mike made a face. He couldn’t imagine a world were he and Rachel weren’t together. Now this rookie was telling him he had some weird relationship with a girl fresh out of the minors. 

"Speaking of Ginny, I should go check on her and the wife. Is there anything you need? I think they have you on just jello for now, but I could grab some magazines or something.”

“Na, I’m fine. Thanks for stopping by, though.”

“Anytime, man. Seriously, anything you need. I’ll leave my number with the nurse and I’ll stop by before we leave.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Mike sighed. He barely knew this kid. He didn’t want to bother a clearly busy man. 

“We’re friends Mike. You can count on me.”

For the first time since Mike had woken up from surgery, he realized that even if his life was completely upside down, that didn’t mean it was a bad thing. 

Blip could hear Evelyn and Ginny laughing from the hallway. “What are you two ladies planning now?” 

“Nothing!” The answered in perfect sync before resolving into laughter again. 

“Oh god don’t make me laugh, Ev. I have broken ribs,” Ginny grumbled rubbing her side. 

“Any idea when you’ll be back on the field?” Blip asked.

Evelyn shot him a glare.

“It’s fine. I’m not really sure, but I am hoping to be ready by spring training.”

“Are you crazy, girl?” Evelyn looked a her like she had lost her mind. 

"They said everyone heals differently, and I am as healthy as a person can be. The ankle should be good to go in 5 weeks, 3 weeks for the collarbone and at the most 8 weeks for my lung. That’s plenty of time. I’ll just have to work a little harder.”

“Harder than you already work? I didn’t think that was possible,” Blip laughed joked.

Ginny tried to shrug, then grimaced and changed the subject. “How was the old man?”

“He says he doesn’t remember anything after 2013. Did you know about this?”

“The nurse told me, but I knew you had already been called up then, so I was hoping he would at least recognize you.”

“He did, but he didn’t seem happy to see me. We weren’t close then. Did the nurse say how long they expect this to last?” 

“She couldn’t really tell me much because I’m not family,” she frowned, chewing the inside of her cheek. “She said amnesia is different for everyone. Sometimes memories come back in a few days, but there is a possibility it never comes back.”

“Never?” Ev gasped. She wanted to go see him for herself, but if he barely remembered Blip, there was no way he would remember her. Their friendship had developed when he practically moved in after Rachel left. 

Blip squeezed his wife's hand. “He’ll remember. He just needs a little time. Al said he would be by soon. Maybe a chat with the Skip will jog his me memory.”

“Probably,” Ginny agreed, forcing a smile. 

“Did Amelia tell you when to expect your mom and Will?” Blip asked, trying to change the subject when he saw the dejected look on his friend’s face. “The boys want to visit, but I don’t want to overwhelm you.”

“Will should be here soon, but Mom was on a later flight. I tried to tell her not to come out. It’s not like there’s anything she can do, but she insisted… Bring the boys whenever, though… I could use the distraction.”

Ev reached over and squeezed her hand. She knew more than most about the odd relationship Mike and Ginny had, but even she wasn’t sure exactly what they were to each other. She knew what they wanted to be, but she also knew that they were both hesitant to let a real thing start. She was really hoping that this incident didn’t send them all the back to the beginning again. Her friends deserved happiness and she was sure they could find it in each other. If only they had the courage to look.


	8. Al visits

Mike was on his third cup of blue raspberry jello when Al walked in. 

“Seriously, Lawson? All your dreams come true and you decide to celebrate by nearly killing two of my best players?”

Mike frowned. Everything about that statement rubbed him the wrong way. How could all his dreams have come true? Sure, he had a ring, but not the life of his life. And really the accident wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t like he had meant for that girl to get hurt. 

“Come on kid, I was only joking. Baker is already plotting how quickly she can get back on the field.”

“Seriously?” Mike asked, shocked that she was already thinking about playing again less than a day after she woke up from a coma. Then again, getting back on the field was the second thing he thought about after waking up. 

“You know our girl is a gamer,” Al shrugged. 

“Actually, I don’t really know her at all. They tell me I have amnesia but the last thing I remember before the accident was that series in 2013 when we beat the dodgers in a clean sweep.”

“Oh, well, that must be rough,” Al mumbled, rubbing his jaw as he processed this. “What’s the doc say?”

“Says the memories should come back on their own, though he can’t tell me when. Rach says we got divorced, and that new kid, Sanders, came in here acting like he was my best friend.”

Al sensed that Mike wasn’t fully answering the question, because the answer wasn’t good, but he decided to address his response instead. “You and Sanders are close. You had recommended him to take over as captain next year. Think you’ve been grooming him for a while now, but I wouldn’t same he was your best friend. Not since Baker showed up. Or I guess you guys are the three amigos. Hell, I don’t know. If I need to find ya though, I ask Ginny. She always knows what's up with you. As for Rachel, you two split… shit, that was back in 2015 I’d say. I don’t know the particulars, but it was a rough patch after the first knee injury. She moved out, and you moved on with every groupie within a 50 mile radius.”

Mike winced. No wonder she was acting so strange when she was there. What did he do? Could he win her back? He’s career was over, so at least he could throw himself into being a good husband finally. “Wait, why was I recommending someone to take over as captain? I have a no trade clause.”

“You were planning on retiring.”

“Why hasn’t anyone else mentioned that?” 

“No one else knew. We just started talking about it with Oscar last week.” 

“That doesn’t make any sense. If I just won the series, why would I be talking about retiring. I’m only… What? 38?” 

“Things have changed a lot since, 2013 I guess. A couple of injuries. We were talking about moving you to first to try and stretch out your time, but you wanted to keep catching, so here we are.”

“Well, I guess there’s no use hiding it then. Doc says I’m outa the game. All the talk of scar tissue makes a lot more sense now.”

“It’s alright kid. You’ll get your memories back, and your life will get back on track. Seems to me you had big plans for after the series before this all went to hell.” 

Mike couldn’t understand what said plans could possibly be, but that was a problem for after he got out of the hospital. Come to think about it…

“Hey coach, I know this is a weird question, but where do I live?”

“You bought yourself a nice little glass mansion with what was left after the alimony. I’m sure when you’re ready to be discharged Sanders will give you a ride. He can get your spare key from Baker, if she still has it, other wise we’ll figure something out.”

Al sat for a little while longer answering what he could about Mike’s life. There wasn’t much he knew, but he often mentioned checking with Baker. He was sure the girl would know everything. The more Al talked about her, the more Mike assumed that they must be in some kind of relationship. Furthermore, Mike was thrown by the fact that Al seemed to have no problems with their close… whatever the hell it was. 

Al left when dinner was delivered. Mike picked at his jello, but couldn’t be bothered to eat. He felt like he was forgetting something. It was like he knew he should be talking to someone, but who? An odd horsey laugh drifted down the hall. It sounded familiar, but Mike’s head was killing him, so instead of investigating, he pressed the call button and asked from some more pain meds. Within half an hour he was out for the night.


	9. Will is Will, but Ginny loves him

Will got there a little while after Blip and Ev left. He spent the first half hour teasing her about her wild night. Then he fused over her like the big brother that he was. Then, he told her about the new plans he had for a chain of batting cages. Ginny smiled and nodded along, but she had learned her lesson about her brother’s schemes. 

Still, it was nice to have company. He kept her mind from wandering down the hall. Except, of course, when he asked about the man himself. 

“Where the hell is Lawson? When you guys came out for mom’s wedding, you two were practically attached at the hip?”

“He’s down the hall, but he doesn’t remember me. I thought it would be better if I waited for him to visit. I don’t make him put up with me if he has no idea who I am.”

“That’s bull shit, G.”

Ginny glared and tried to throw a pillow at him.

“You’re scared, Ginny Bean. Ain't no two ways about it. You two have been dancin’ around each other since you got here. Now that you finally have a chance to see where this could go, you are chickening out.”

“It’s not… he thinks he is still married. He loves her. I saw it. Right before I passed out. You weren’t there. What they have is…”

“Over. And it has been for a long damn time.”

“Not that long,” she sniffed, remembering the end of last season when she had a brief fling with an it guru and he went running back to his ex-wife. Sure, it hadn’t lasted long, but the relapse cemented something in Ginny’s mind. Mike Lawson loved Rachel Patrick, and if there was any way for them to be together, he would move Heaven and earth to make it happen. 

Luckily, Will decided to drop the clearly sore subject and they went on to discuss the fiasco that had been their mother’s wedding. Somewhere between jokes about Uncle Irving’s new girlfriend and Grandma Flora’s toast, the knot in her chest loosened and she was able to truly laugh. Maybe having family around wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all. At least, for a little while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is short, but I couldn't decide about switching Pov so I made it two chapters. Up with more later this week


	10. What dreams may come

Mike was dreaming of walking through the bowels of Petco. He was looking for someone, though he couldn’t remember who. He checked the gym, and the locker room and even the mop closet for some reason, but he couldn’t find who he was looking for. 

A scream cut through his subconscious mind. Without thinking clearly, he jumped out of bed and ran down the hall. He was in her room before the nurses. Ginny was sitting up in bed, hyperventilating. 

“Baker!” He called as he came in, but she didn’t look up. It was like she was still asleep. She was trapped in a dream, or more accurately a nightmare. 

He sat down beside her and grabbed her face in both hands, forcing eye contact. “You’re ok. Look at me. It’s just a memory. Where are we?”

Ginny shook her head, but he didn’t let go and her hands settled on his elbows, squeezing them as she fought to ground herself. 

“Come on, Baker. Breath with me,” he coached, taking a smooth breath. She tried to copy him, but it came out to fast still. His thumbs stroked her temples. “Where are we?”

“The.. hos… pital.”

“That’s okay, though. You are ok.”

“Im ok.” She dragged in a breath more slowly. 

“Are you ok?” He asked, only then really thinking about his actions. 

“I’m ok.” She gave a familiar nod. 

“Ok, that’s good. I… don’t know why…” he floundered looking behind him to the nurse hovering at the door.

“You still don’t remember?” Ginny asked. He turned back to her.

“No, I just reacted.”

“That’s ok. You’ve helped me through these before. It’s probably just muscle memory or something. I’m sorry for waking you up,” she said sadly. Her eyes dropped, and he thought she might cry, but instead she jerked away. “Shit, you’re bleeding.” 

Mike looked down. She was right. He must have pulled out his stitches, but he hadn’t felt a thing. The nurse rushed over and he was quickly taken back to his own room. The look in her eyes haunted him as he waited for the doctor to come.  
“Is she really ok?” He asked the nurse. 

“She’ll be fine. It’s normal after a traumatic experience. Lucky you were here, other wise we probably would have had to sedate her.”

What neither knew was that after they had taken him away, she had started all over again. Somehow her hands had gotten blood on them and the sight was enough to throw her back to the last car accident she had been in. She couldn't lose him. She just couldn't. It wasn't fair. She was shaking and fighting as they administered a dose of diazepam. Finally, after several minutes she fell back into a fitful but dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me! If you want fluff, check my other story. This is getting really angsty, but I promise blue skies soon.


	11. The morning after

Ginny jolted awake gasping. “Mike!”

“It’s okay. He's okay. You’re okay,” Amelia tried to calm her. “They called about your episode. I checked in with Mike. He was still sleeping, but they said he is perfecting fine.”

“There was blood and…”

“I know, but he is fine. I swear.”

Ginny squeezed her eyes shut and repeated ‘he’s fine’ to herself until she felt steady again. When she finally looked up, Amelia was waiting patiently.

“I think it’s the hospital. All these unfamiliar surroundings can’t be helping your anxiety. The doctor says you don’t need to be here anymore, as long as some one is staying with you.”

The idea of getting out of the hospital was an appealing one. She knew that hospitals were a trigger for her panic attacks. Not to mention, Mike had hurt himself because of her. Maybe if she removed herself from the situation, he would be able to heal. 

“Will is heading home tomorrow, but my mom will be here later today.”

“I am here too, G.”

“I know, but boundaries.”

“Yeah…” Amelia sighed. 

“Thank you for being here this morning though. It means a lot to me.”

“Of course, now, let me see what I can do about getting you out of here before you have to eat anymore hospital food.”

While Amelia was talking to the doctor and scheduling her appointments, Ginny hobbled down to Mike’s room on her new crutches. She wanted to apologize for the night before and say goodbye, even if he didn’t know her. She was almost to the door way when her heard him laughing. It was mingled with a higher laugh. She paused, not wanting to intrude. After a moment the laughter died down. 

“It will be okay, Mike. You’ll remember and then you’ll understand,” Rachel sighed.

“But what if I don’t want to remember? What if this is a chance for us to get back on track? I love you, Rach. I can change. My career is over. I can be the man, the husband, you always wanted me to be.”

Ginny’s heart stopped. She leaned on the door and felt like she might sink to the floor. Rachel was looking around the room for something to say when she saw Ginny in the door way. 

“We can talk about this later. You have another visitor.”

Mike followed her eyes and was surprised to see the pale face of Ginny Baker. Immediately, something snapped. He almost shot out of bed, but as he pushed up on his arms, his new stitches pulled, and he remembered that he wasn’t supposed to be moving. 

“Are you okay? Sit down, you look like you are about to pass out.” 

“I’m fine,” she mumbled straightening herself on her crutches. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry about last ni…”

“No, it’s fine. Are you okay though?” He interrupted. 

“Yeah, I’m good. Right as rain. In fact, they are sending me home, so I won’t interrupt your beauty sleep anymore.”

Mike looked over at Rachel, suddenly wishing that she wasn’t there. He had only told her that he had pulled out his stitches, not how or why. For some reason he felt like what had happened the night before was something personal between he and Ginny. Even if he couldn’t remember, he just knew she wouldn’t want her private issues made public. 

Ginny assumed that his eyes had shifted for an entirely different reason, though. “I should be going. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

This time it was Rachel who jumped up. “You should really stay. At least for a minute. I was just about to run to the cafeteria for coffee.” She slipped out of the room before either could argue.

“Come on, sit, Rookie. You wouldn’t leave your captain all alone would you?” 

Ginny bit her lip. He couldn’t know what that nickname meant to her, to them. Still, she wasn’t quite ready to walk away, so she sat down. For a minute neither said anything, then they both started at once. 

“I’ve been having this dream…” “I really didn’t mean for you to…”

“Go ahead,” Ginny said.

“Seriously, don’t worry about last night. I’ve had way worse scrapes. Believe me, it scared you more than it bothered me. Which means, I should be apologizing to you.”

“I wasn’t scared.”  
“Of course not.” He fought a chuckle at her bravado.

“You said something about a dream.”

“Yeah, but really I was wondering about the night of the accident. No offense, but I guess we were going to my place? I mean, wouldn’t you have wanted to go out with the team? Wouldn’t I have? It just doesn’t make any sense, and people have been saying we are close, like friends or something.”

“I would say we were friends. We hang out. I don’t really know why things worked out the way they did that night. I mean, yeah, we would usually be out with the team after a win, but it was different. I was on the field, thinking about… things, and you found me. We were both tired, so we just decided to go home… I mean, to your place and relax.” 

Her original use of home was not lost on him. Mike knew that she was editing herself, he just didn't know why. It sounded really domestic to him. Like they were a lot closer than he had ever been with another team mate.

“Are we a couple?” He asked, going right to the question at the forefront of his mind.

“No,” she all but shouted, then she took a deep breath and continued in a more calm tone. “I don’t date baseball players.”

Mike felt disappointed. Then, he was confused by his disappointment. Wasn’t Rachel what he wanted? Why should he be disappointed that he wasn’t dating this slip of a girl? Then he remembered what Al had said. “I’m retiring.”

“Because of you injuries. I heard. I’m so sorry.”

“No, I was retiring before. Al said I was already in talks with management.”

Shock and confusion flashed in her eyes. “I didn’t know. You never told me.”

“But I tell you everything. Everyone keeps saying that. They keep saying ask Ginny, Ginny will know, Ginny knows all about you.”

“Well clearly, I don’t,” she shouted, jumping to her feet, and then nearly crumbling as a wave of pain struck her.

“Rook…” he started, trying to reach for her, but she was already backing away quickly. 

“No, this was a mistake. I… I have to go. I’ll see you,” she paused and he could tell her was fighting back tears. "I don’t know when, just take care of yourself, old man.”

Amelia met her in the hall. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Ginny answered firmly. “Are we good to go?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

They walked out without a look back.


	12. Remember

Mike spent another week in the hospital, but his memories remained a mystery. Rachel visited daily, though her visits were short and she never said much. Al stopped after dinner everyday. They watched ESPN until the old man nearly fell asleep and Mike would remind him to head home. Blip came by at lunchtime, usually to steal a cup of jello and get an update on his condition. Mike wanted to ask about Ginny, but he wasn’t sure he was allowed to. They had left things badly and if she wanted him to know about her, she would have told him. As it was, every member of the Padre’s had been to visit except their star pitcher. 

Blip drove him home on the day he was released. Turned out the Ginny had the spare key to his place. The police had said there wasn’t much they could salvage from his car.   
His agent had brought him a new phone, which it took him a while to figure out. He asked Rachel to come over that night. He was hoping she would stay with him, but instead she sat down and told him the whole story of how their marriage had imploded. 

She had been waiting for him to remember, but at this point she was worried he never would. Se told him they had grown apart. Both were so wrapped up in their careers. He went down to play winter ball and rehab, and she got lonely. She cheated, he caught her. He forgave her, but she was in love with this other guy. They were getting married. 

When she left that night, Mike wondered how he had ever gotten over it. Part of him wanted to find this other guy and punch him. Part of him was heartbroken, but another part wondered about Ginny. What did it mean that she didn’t date baseball players? Was that the reason he was retiring early? Why hadn’t he told her if that was the case? 

Nothing made any sense. He just wanted someone to talk to. He scrolled through his contacts. His finger hovered over her name, but he didn’t call. Instead, hauled himself off the couch, up the stairs and to bed. Maybe things would make more sense in the morning. 

The next morning, he went to Petco. He knew not many people would be around but he wanted to talk to Oscar. They would need to put out a press release about his retirement and the accident. Mike felt like he ought to defend Rachel. He knew she hadn’t caused the accident on purpose. There had been a ton of media speculation. Was it his jealous ex trying to take out the new woman in his life. A lover quarrel. No one got it right. No one seemed to understand that they were all just in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

He was walking past the work out room when he heard it. The most grating, off-key humming he had ever heard in his life. God, what the hell was that? Then like a flash he knew. He knew it was Ginny humming Rise, by Katy Perry. He knew Ginny, his rookie, his heart, the love of his life. He stood at the door starring at her as she bobbed her head and tired to stretch without hurt herself. 

She looked up. “Hey, I didn’t know you were coming in today?”

He just stared at her. 

“Mike? Yo, Lawson? Are you ok?” She asked, trying to get to her feet, but struggling with the crutches. 

“I love you.” He answered, because that was the only answer that made any sense. 

Ginny literally stumbled, but he rushed to catch her. 

“What did just you say?” She asked, trying to pull away. 

“I said, I love you, Genevieve Marie Baker. I love everything about you. I love when you are on the mound and the only thing the exists in the world is you and me. I love when you call me at three in the morning to tell me about a dream you had. I love you when you’re stealing my tomatoes and when you’re lecturing me about cilantro and when you’re driving me out of my mind with your shake offs and your grape soda and your humming. I love you.”

“Oh”

“Oh? I give you the best damn speech of my life and all you can say is , oh?”

Ginny gave him a lopsided grin. “I don’t know, I’ve always liked that first one, aim your pitches, aim to please…”

He cut her off with a kiss. They pulled apart when Al cleared his throat. “I see you two finally found each other.”

“Sorry, skip,” they said at the exact same time. 

“No problem. Mike, whenever your ready, I’ll be in Oscar’s office,” then he disappeared down the hall. 

Mike looked down at the woman in his arms. “God, I missed you so damn much this week. I kept having this dream that I was looking for someone everywhere, but I couldn’t find them, and now I know it was you. Without you my life is just… this is going to sound cheesey, but it’s true. Without you my life is empty.”

Ginny hid her face in his chest so he wouldn’t see her blush. When she looked up again she had a teasing smirk. “So, what I’m hearing is you dream of me, often?” She wiggled her eyebrows, and Mike shook with laughter. 

“I really do, Rookie, and I hope I never stop.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it guys. I hope you like it and thanks for sticking with me. My next ideas are a story that takes place right after the finale, or a story about mikes mom, or mikes dad. Let me know what you want to read???


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